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African diaspora religions, also described asAfro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in theAmericas in various areas of theCaribbean,Latin America, and theSouthern United States. They derive fromtraditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notablyChristianity andIslam.[1][2]
Afro-American religions share a number of beliefs and practices.[3] Central beliefs include ancestor veneration and include acreator deity along with apantheon of divine spirits such as theOrisha,Loa,Vodun,Nkisi, andAlusi, among others.[4] In addition to thereligious syncretism of these various African traditions, many also incorporate elements offolk Catholicism includingfolk saints and other forms offolk religion,Native American religion,Spiritism,Spiritualism,Shamanism (sometimes including the use ofEntheogens), andEuropean folklore.
Various "doctoring" spiritual traditions also exist such asObeah andHoodoo which focus on spiritual health.[5] African religious traditions in the Americas can vary. They can have non-prominent African roots or can be almost wholly African in nature, such as religions likeTrinidad Orisha.[6]
The nature and composition of the African diaspora have undergone significant changes over time: from the forced migration of African captives of the Old and New Worlds to the voluntary emigration of free, skilled Africans in search of political asylum or economic opportunities; from a diaspora with little contact with the point of origin (Africa) to one that maintains active contact with the mother continent, all culminating in the birth of a unique African who straddles continents, worlds and cultures.[7]
There are several conceptual difficulties in defining the African diaspora—indeed, in defining the termdiaspora. Contemporary theorizations of the termdiaspora tend to be preoccupied with problematizing the relationship between diaspora and nation and the dualities or multiplicities of diasporic identity or subjectivity; they are inclined to be condemnatory or celebratory of transnational mobility and hybridity. In many cases, the termdiaspora is used in a fuzzy, ahistorical and uncritical manner in which all manner of movements and migrations between countries and even within countries are included and no adequate attention is paid to the historical conditions and experiences that produce diasporic communities and consciousness—how dispersed populations become self-conscious diaspora communities.[8]
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2025 (link)| African traditional religion- derived systems |
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